Your face says a lot about you such as your age and health. Just because you are a mature adult, you don't have to suffer from drooping skin, folds, and wrinkle lines. These are the signs of aging, but they can be reversed with a facelift procedure.
A facelift – known in medical terminology as a rhytidectomy – is a reshaping procedure that tightens the skin on the lower half of the face. It is sometimes combined with an eyelift procedure.
At Pryor Health, we specialize in this type of facial resurfacing/reshaping technique, and our clients experience smoother skin, less wrinkling, and better overall skin tone on the cheeks and jaws.
What the Procedure Involves
Skin is very elastic during the childhood and early adult years. Unfortunately, gravity begins to take over and pulls the skin downward. This process is accelerated when skin is no longer elastic or has poor structural support. The decrease in collagen production is the major culprit.
The facelift procedure involves making incisions along the hairline and extending these cuts behind the ear lobes. Excess fat tissue is removed. The skin is then pulled upward – and sometimes outward – and stitched or stapled back into place.
In some cases, smaller cuts are made on the lower areas of the face so that fat tissue can be removed from beneath the skin near the mouth or nose.
With some patients, the tissue buildup is more prominent on the lower regions of the face. An endoscopic technique that involves several small incisions around the mouth or eyes may be necessary to ensure flat, smooth skin.
How to Prepare for a Facelift
Keeping the skin out of direct sunlight for several weeks before the surgery may be recommended. We may advise the patient to abstain from certain moisturizers or salves in the weeks leading up to the surgical procedure.
Before the surgery technique is chosen, we sit down with the client and discuss the different methods used to tighten the skin.
Most facelift procedures can last about two hours. A local anesthetic is used to numb the skin and underlying tissues on the face. In rare cases, an intravenous anesthetic is used. The incisions are made at precise points around the frontal hairline. After the tissue is removed, the skin is pulled gently upward and held in place while sutures bind together the horizontal cuts.
Long-Lasting Results
This is a minimally invasive procedure that does not require lengthy downtime for our patients. The incision points may have to be bandaged for several days, and we may recommend a topical cream or medicated salve for use near the stitched incision points. Normal activities can be resumed almost immediately.
Most patients report positive results lasting for up to one year or more. Depending on the age of the patient, his or her overall skin health, and ability to produce collagen, the skin may appear more elastic and firm for much longer than one year.
Are You a Candidate?
If you suffer from forehead folds, sagging cheeks, and jaws, or puffy areas around the eyelids, you are a likely candidate for rhytidectomy surgery. Remember, this procedure also targets crow's feet, fine line wrinkles around the mouth and nose, and drooping skin above the eyelids. Contact Pryor Health today to schedule a facelift consultation.
